Flying machine and more particularly helicopter



Dec. 19, 1961 c. DE SIEBENTHAL 3,013,746

FLYING MACHINE AND MORE PARTICULARLY HELICOPTER Filed Sept. 30, 1958INVENTOR BY W ATTORNEY 3,013,746 Patented Dec. 19, 1961 the 3,013,746FLYING MACHINE AND PARTICULARLY HELHCGPTER (Ilement de Siehenthal, Lelsostguet, Leysin, Switzerland Filed Sept. 30, 1958, filer. No. 764,2312 Claims. ill. 244-1711) The present invention relates generally toflying machines and more particularly to helicopters and has for itsprimary object to provide a new or improved machine of this kind ofsimple and yet efficient construction.

It is another object of the present invention to pro vide a flyingmachine and more particularly a helicopter comprising a frame in which ashaft and one or several movable lifting aerofoil members are mounted,on each of which members a pair of spaced propellers is secured forrotating the members about the shaft, and means being provided foractuating said propellers.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide animproved flying machine and more particularly a helicopter, asaforesaid, including a screen adjacent each propeller for imparting acircular direction to the tractive stress thereof, further propellersbeing provided, when desirable, on the lifting member or members forco-operation with the screen.

With these and such other objects in view as will incidentally appearhereafter, the invention comprising the novel construction andcombination of parts will be clearly understood from the followingdetailed description, in combination with the accompanying diagrammaticdrawings exemplifying the same, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan View of the improved flying machine forming ahelicopter according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view drawn to a larger scale along thelines 11 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view showing a construe tional modification ofthe edge notched portion of the lifting member carrying the propellerand adjacent to it the guiding screen.

Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2, theimproved flying machine comprises a cabin 1 provided at its front endwith a propeller 2 and at its rear end with a rudder 3. This cabin 1 ismounted about a shaft 4 which is supported in turn by a frame ofconventional type (not shown) which carries the cabin.

About the shaft 4 are rotatably mounted a pair of lifting wing oraerofoil members 5 and 6, each of which has rudder flaps 7, 7 and 8, 8,respectively, extending along its opposite sides. Each lifting wingmember 5 and 6 is provided adjacent its opposite ends with propellers 9adapted to impart rational tractive stress thereto.

Each lifting wing member 5 or 6 is provided, adjacent theportion of itssurface along which the air stream generated by each propeller 9strikes, with a screen or vane 10, in order to confine the air streamsubstantially in the direction of the axis of the propellers 9 alongsaid surface. The latter extends between said surface and vertically toboth sides of the central portion of the wing member and is securedthereto by means of screws or bolts 11. -In the showing of FIG. 3, thescreen 10' is fixed on the side portion of a notch 12 formed in thelifting wing member 6 for nesting the corresponding propeller 9.

' The propellers 9, arranged and sized as to impart rotation to the wingmembers 5, 6, have a large diameter and may be actuated either by anindividual prime mover or by a common prime mover imparting motive powerto both propellers 9 of each of the wing members 5 and 6.

The purpose of each screen or vane it is to impart to the tractivestress, generated by the corresponding propeller 9, a directionextending tangentially to a circle, the center of which coincides withthe rotational axis of the lifting wing member 5 or 6, the radius ofsaid circle being equal to the distance from it to the rotational axisof the propeller 9, and thus to limit any escape of the air streamoriginating from the propeller 9 in a direction other than tangentiallyto said circle.

As an alternative arrangement, there may be provided only one liftingwing member on the shaft 4, said wing member comprising a pair ofaerofoils defining an intermediate space in which the propellers 9 areaccommodated.

Where the flying machine is an airplane, the screen may be movable.

While I have disclosed one embodiment of the present invention, it is tobe understood that this embodiment is given by example only and not in alimiting sense, the scope of the present invention being determined bythe objects and the claims.

I claim:

1. A flying machine and more particularly a helicopter comprising aframe, a vertical shaft mounted in said frame, at least one liftingair-foil member rotatably mounted on said shaft, a propeller rotatablymounted on a horizontal shaft and disposed in front of each end of saidlifting air-foil to create an air stream above and below said air-foilmember, drive means disposed in said.

frame and operatively connected with said horizontal shafts, a vanedisposed in front of and within the operating range of each of saidpropellers, said vane being located at and restricted to an area at theinnermost point of said propeller along said air-foil.

2. The flying machine, as set forth in claim 1, Where- 7 in saidair-foil member has a marginal recess receiving said propeller, and saidvane is secured to the edge of said recess.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,669,758 Isacco May 15, 1928 1,955,921 Kusse Apr. 24, 1934 1,961,214Hall June 5, 1934 2,281,203 Pitcairn Apr. 28, 1942 2,434,085 Suggs Jan.6, 1948 2,659,556 Doblhoff Nov. 7, 1953

